By Afendi Muteki
As the dialect and traditions of the Oromo of Harerghe have peculiar features, trade in Harerghe has also certain important customs that differentiate it from those which are prevailing in other parts of Oromia. This essay tries to enlighten you on some aspects of the trading traditions in the Harerghe.
1) Each town in Harerghe has a principal market day and most of the trading activities take place on that principal market day. For example Tuesday is a principal market day for towns of Gelemso and Miesso; the towns of Ciroo and Balbalettii have Thursday as their principal market day; Saturday is a principal market day for many towns including Harar, Dire Dawa, Hirna, Baddeessa and Machara.
2) There are open market places in each town where trade is undertaken in a very traditional way, and most of the time, these open market places are named after the principal market day. For example, the main open market of Gelemso is called “Magaalaa Salaasaa” meaning “Tuesday’s Market”. Females dominate the business activity in the open markets.
3) A cattle market is usually located outside the towns (or on the far side of the towns) and it is called “Jaldhaaba”. Unlike the open markets, it is totally run by males. The towns of Harerghe are the primary suppliers of the humped bull (popularly known asHarar Sangaa) to the markets of Addis Ababa (Finfinnee) and others. The municipalities of the town usually collect sales tax from those who sale their cattle and sheep in “jaldhaba”. This kind of tax is known as “ashuura”.
4) In most of the towns of Harerghe, coins are called “liiraa”/ “niiraa” (from the Italian “lira”) and their counting varies by successive units of two per five cents. For example, the Ethiopian five cents coin is called “liira lama” (two lira), the ten cents called “liiraa afur” (four lira), and the twenty cents called “liiraa saddeet” (eight lira). But this doesn’t hold for 25 cents coin which the people call “sumuni” or “nusa” and the fifty cents coin which is called “shilingii”. The two (25cents+ 50 cents) together called either “shilingii fi nusa” or “rubia” (the latter one is to mean “a quarter less one birr). On the other hand, the Ethiopian birr is called “qarshii” (from Arabic “qurush”) and the ten birr note is known as “bawandii” (from English “pound”).
There are minor exceptions to the tradition of calling coins by the term “liiraa”. For example, the residents of “Masala” town call the five cents coin “farankaa takka” (“one franc”); people in Machara town use a term “gadabo” for five cents coin.
5) The Measuring units are mixed up from three systems: The traditional Oromo measuring system, the British system and the American system. Let me give you some examples.
a) Coffee had been measured in traditional units called “farasullaa” (one farasulla=17 kg) and dawulla (one dawulla=5 farasulla). But in recent years, “killo gram” and “quintal” are more preferred.
b) Grains are measured in units called “suguda” (one suguda=2.5 kg), “qunnaa” (1qunnaa= 8 kg) and “dawulla” (1 dawulla=90-100 kg). When grains and cereals are retailed for individuals, a unit called “xaasaa” or “xaasaa milishaa” is used (five xaasaa=1 kg). The oilseeds are usually measured by a smaller unit called “lambaa” (15 lambaa= 1 kg). This “lmabaa” is a can in which tomato (called “salsa” by the people of Harerghe) is packed. After the tomato inside the can is taken out, the material will be used for measuring things. Likewise, xaasaa” or “xaasaa milishia” is a can in which “shiro” (bean soup) is packed.
c) In some places, the basketry products called “daroota” and “qarawaa” are used for measuring grains. And occasionally, loaded items are measured by a unit called “fe’umsa harree” (meaning “donkey’s load”).
d) Length is usually measured by “dhundhuma” (cubit), “tarkaanfii” (leap) and “taakkuu” (palm). An interesting thing here is that “feet” is not used to measure length as it is the case in other places.
e) Cloth had been measured in a unit called “waar” (1 waar = 60 cms). But currently, it is being substituted by “meter”. A bundle of spread cloth is called “xaaqaa”. Many “xaaqaa” tied together in a bigger bundle which is called “boondaa”
f) For countable items, “darzan” is the most common measuring unit (1 darzan=12 units). One item is called “firii takka” or “habbaa takka” (the latter is derived from Arabic).
g) Some 15 years ago, honey, butter and liquids were measured by a unit called “shimiririi” (1 shimiririi= 12 lambaa). This “shimiririi” was a kind of container made up of aluminum and it is used to contain milk. Latter, people started to use it for measuring the milk itself. Its service expanded to the measuring of Rice and salt. But currently, liquids are measured either by “qalasa” (a drinking cup of big size which is made from plastic) or “liter”- which the people of Harerghe call “killoo”. “Khat” is measured by “haqaaraa” and the weight of this unit differs from place to place. Larger amount of “khat” is measured by units called “hidhaa” and “boondaa”
h) Kerosene and gasoline are measured in a kind of a bottle called “shugguxii” which is made primarily for packing glycerin and hair foods (3 shugguxii= 1 liter). In a wholesaling case, kerosene is usually measured by “gallon” (about 4.5 liter) whose name is now changed to “kooddaa”.
6) Donkeys are the most commonly used pack animals for transportation of commodities. The people in lowlands, however, mostly use camels for transportation.
7) In addition to the sellers and buyers, many citizens also depend on the markets for their livelihood. For example, there are many laborers whom the urban dwellers would hire to bring home the products they buy from market. These laborers are called “hammala” (from Arabic “hammal”) or “koolii” (from Indian “coolie”).